Inside Unmanned Systems

AUG-SEP 2018

Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.

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AIR HAZARD TRACKING
52 August/September 2018 unmanned systems
inside
ISFSIs require walk downs to visually verify
the vent locations on the dry cask storage con-
tainers are not blocked, which would prevent
natural cooling and lead to problems.
"These walk downs can pose safety risks
to personnel and can easily be automated by
UAVs," he said. "Additionally, detailed 3-D sur-
veys can be conducted using UAVs to map and
monitor the low level radiation areas in and
around the ISFSI sites that can eliminate the
need or reduce the magnitude of costly con-
crete berms erected to keep off-site radiation
doses to a minimum."
THE CHALLENGES
Of course there are various challenges that
come with using drones to detect radiation. The
first is the size of the sensors and the drone. The
payload must be light enough to f ly on a UAS
that's small enough to safely travel in the facility
and to access tight spaces and confined areas.
Goldstein met that challenge by using thin
aluminum or carbon fiber for all mechanical
parts rather than steel or brass. He got rid of
the lead collimators used on other radiation
equipment and also plan to switch to smaller,
denser scintillation crystals for the "search
tool" detector.
"The first thing to do is make the sensors
small and lightweight so they can go on the
drone without overpowering them," he said.
"And then you need a quick change. We de-
veloped a quick change system so it takes just
a few seconds to change from one detector to
another by clipping in and plugging it in to a
different wire and cable."
When Goldstein came to Jeri Donaldson,
CEO of FlyCam UAV, and her team w ith
radiation detection devices and the idea to
f ly them on the drone, it didn't take long for
them to f igure out the best way to mount
the sensors onto the systems. The company
has 20 to 25 sensors that detect 18 different
chemicals. The main challenge was deter-
mining how to get the right data.
UAS AND
GROUND VEHICLES
GROUND VEHICLES ALSO CAN BE
EFFECTIVE during an emergency response
at a nuclear facility, said Matt Torma,
business development manager for Charlotte
UAV. Once the plume is gone and a UAS
has been used to detect radiation levels,
a system like the Destrier—LR, a medium-
sized all terrain, all-wheel drive vehicle, can
continue to collect data. The autonomous
vehicle can cover miles while carrying
various payloads on the main body or
towed by a trailer. It also can be equipped
with a self-righting roll cage to traverse
challenging areas. The Rover uses the
Mirion Mission Control Software, which is also used to operate the
RadKnight UAS.
"You want to use aerial systems right away and then ground vehicles,"
he said. "After a couple days all the debris from the plume has fallen
out and will get on the ground. Aerial vehicles aren't great at surveying
the ground. A ground vehicle is a much more effi cient tool for these
surveys and can run for a longer period of time. You also can put a
bigger payload on them."
The ground rover was developed because customers were constantly
asking about a system that could stay on the ground and loiter, said
Walter Lappert, an unmanned systems engineer for Charlotte UAV.
The vehicle has front facing cameras (visible light and thermal), rear
facing cameras and now a set of two radiation detectors mounted on.
It operates via GPS waypoints or manually. Like the UAS, it livestreams
what it sees back to the operator. A second person can put on virtual
reality googles to see all the data as it comes in, off ering another
perspective.
Torma sees this being used to monitor for radiation in shipping and
receiving areas. It also can be used for other applications, including
infrastructure inspections and security walk downs, much like the UAS.
Photos courtesy of Charlotte UAV.
BUDDY THE
GROUND ROBOT
Buddy is a semi-
autonomous ground robot
for use in hazardous areas.
The vehicle is designed to be
"plug and play" with various
Mirion radiation detectors
and cameras.
DESTRIER– LR
The medium sized Destrier– LR is an
all-terrain autonomous vehicle that can
carry a variety of payloads on its main
body or towed by a trailer.